


Heavenly Peace

by Fire_Bear



Series: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Arguments, Christmas, Christmas Carols, Christmas songs, I don't really know what else to tag here, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-06 11:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8748556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Arthur's had enough of Christmas due to his work but, whilst trying to relax at home, the man above him is playing Christmas music far too loudly.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aliesiar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliesiar/gifts).



> I decided to do some Christmas prompts. There were 25 of them but I decided to only do 12 - one for each of the 12 Days of Christmas. This is the first one. 
> 
>  
> 
> _Character A doesn’t feel the Christmas spirit but Character B, who lives above them, keeps playing Christmas carols really loud_
> 
>  
> 
> (All the songs are not by me, obviously. You even get one by Britney Spears.)

“ _Silent night_  
_Holy night_  
_All is calm_  
_All is bright-”_

“Oh, for God's sake!” Arthur growled, trying to resist clenching his fists lest he actually tear his book in two. Taking a deep breath, he slowly marked his place and put the book down, trying to pretend he couldn't actually hear the Christmas carol coming from above. Unfortunately, without the distraction of dragons and magic and peril, it just made the carol seem louder.

_“Sleep in heavenly peace-”_

“I would if you'd turn that racket down, Jones!” Arthur yelled at the ceiling, only just stopping himself from shaking his fist as well. Letting his head fall against the back of his second-hand couch, Arthur glowered upwards, hoping that the music would stop after this song – _finally_. Once again, Arthur's prayers and fervent cursing went ignored as another carol began. This time it was the faster-paced, more cheerful, horribly annoying Ding Dong Merrily on High sung by the high-pitched voices of a children's choir.

Arthur groaned and closed his eyes tight, trying to keep himself from thinking about his part-time job. Since he had moved closer to his university, his parents had agreed to pay his way till he'd gotten a job. Disagreeing with this and so as not to be in their debt, Arthur had managed to find himself a weekend job in a busy shop. As it had gotten closer to Christmas, so it had gotten busier and more stressful – starting in October. Thankfully, they had at least waited till the first of November to begin playing Christmas songs on a loop but Arthur was, frankly, fed up of the whole holiday. He may have believed in the magic of Christmas as a child and been looking forward to the traditional family dinner but, now that it was the start of December, he didn't want to leave his flat any more. Here, he'd be safe from customers causing difficulties and the queues and the songs and-

 _“Away in a manger_  
_No crib for his bed_  
_The little Lord Jesus_  
_Lay down his sweet head-”_

“Right, fuck this,” Arthur snapped, leaping to his feet so fast that the couch shifted slightly. Stomping through his flat (and surely annoying the family that lived under him), Arthur marched to his door, grabbed his keys and slammed the door as he headed upstairs. Instead of using the lift, however, Arthur used the stairs, hoping he'd be able to calm down, just a little, before he confronted Alfred F. Jones. After all, despite having lived under him for a few months and despite arguing almost every time they met, they had also been flirting. It was subtle and Arthur had been surprised at first, but it was fun and he didn't want to lose that.

 _Strange_ , thought Arthur. _I wonder why...?_

He didn't ponder for long, however, as, halfway up the stairs, Arthur began to hear God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. The stairwell muffled most sounds, so how could he hear Alfred's music even here? How loud _was_ it?

Stepping through the door and into the landing, Arthur soon found out. He could barely hear his heavy footsteps as he headed straight for Alfred's door. Would Alfred even hear him hammering on the door? Arthur was beginning to doubt it and wondered if he'd made a wasted journey. Even so, he rang the doorbell and immediately banged on the door, using the edge of his fist instead of his knuckles.

“Coming!” he faintly heard Alfred yell before the door was yanked open a second later.

Seeing what Alfred was wearing made Arthur freeze. Alfred had apparently decided to get into the Christmas spirit and was wearing a Christmas jumper – but not just _any_ Christmas jumper. It had a massive S symbol in the middle and, for a second, Arthur thought it stood for Santa. Then he realised that it was the Superman symbol. Not only was he wearing that but he had a Santa hat upon his head – but not just _any_ Santa hat. It was blue and white instead of red and, only when Alfred tilted his head quizzically did Arthur realise that it was meant to be R2-D2. Arthur must have caught him while he was decorating as tinsel was wrapped around his neck and arms and trailing from his belt loops. Behind him, red and green and gold and silver adorned his otherwise boring walls. Some of them even flashed.

To Arthur, it felt he was being slapped in the face by Father Christmas. _Get into the Christmas Spirit, Arthur Kirkland, ho ho ho._

“Oh, hey, Artie!” said Alfred, looking delighted. “Didja need something?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Arthur growled. “Turn off that infernal racket!”

“Huh?”

“The Christmas carols! I can hear them downstairs!”

Alfred blinked, looking rather blank as if he didn't know what Arthur was talking about. As his temper rose, Arthur was about to snap at him again when Alfred slowly said, “But you don't usually complain about hearing my music and I have it at the normal volume...”

“Well, _maybe_ I don't like this particular music. _Maybe_ I don't like this” - he gestured at the decorated flat and Alfred's outfit - “in general. Can't you be considerate for once?!”

“Wha-? Hey! Are you trying to say that you don't like me?”

“Of course I don't!” Arthur snapped, without thinking. His anger didn't let him stop and he continued with, “How can I like you if you're playing Christmas music so loud all day? I have to come home from work where I hear all these bloody songs on a loop and I have to put up with _yo_ u, too?! How is that fair?!”

“Woah, okay,” said Alfred, raising his hands in surrender. A piece of tinsel fell to the floor as he moved, the shiny green glinting in the light. “Calm do-!”

“No! I've had it with Christmas! It's all I've heard about for months, now. So I'd rather not think about it when I get home, thank you very much!”

“But Christmas is one of the best times of the year!” Alfred protested. “I mean-”

Tired of the conversation going around in circles, Arthur's eyes narrowed. “Just turn that down or switch it off. I don't much care what you do but if I can still hear it when I go downstairs, I'll call the police.”

That made Alfred frown and Arthur recognised that expression; it meant he was getting angry. “Hang on. That's taking it a _bit_ far.”

“No.” Casting a disgusted glance over Alfred and his flat once more, Arthur's lip curled. “ _That's_ taking it a bit far. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to read my book in peace.” And, spinning on his heel, Arthur marched off, his fists still clenched. Once again, he took the stairs, trying to calm himself as he went. It wasn't until he had closed his front door and heard Jingle Bells being cut off before it had really begun that he let out a breath and relaxed. Then, realising what he'd just done, Arthur murmured, “Shit.”

Arthur wasn't entirely sure how he felt about his neighbour. His heart would race upon spotting him entering the lift or casually settled against the handrail with a grin on his face. And, despite a lot of their arguing, mostly about Alfred making too much noise by dancing or jumping around or simply walking, all of their disputes had been resolved. Mainly because Alfred obligingly did as Arthur had asked or ranted about. But Arthur had never truly been so vicious with him like that for anything before. After all, he himself lived above someone else and he always forgot he wasn't the only one who could hear him moving around his flat. And, having gotten to know Alfred quite a bit, Arthur knew he liked the man, at the very least as a potential friend.

With the way his chest hurt once he realised that Alfred had been truly angry when he'd said all those things, it was probably much more than just liking him as a friend.

But he'd well and truly scuppered any sort of relationship he could have with Alfred. Now they would be merely neighbours. Neighbours who probably wouldn't even talk to each other any more: Arthur didn't think he'd be able to bring himself to speak in Alfred's presence in their scant time together in the lifts and Alfred wouldn't want to talk to him either. Taking a breath, Arthur calmed himself down. He barely knew Alfred, he told himself, and he had plenty of other friends. Everything was fine.

In the silence, Arthur made his way back to his couch and his abandoned book. Picking it up, he returned to where he had left off. Only, after a few minutes, Arthur realised that he was reading the same line over and over, struggling to take in the words. It didn't help that he had reached a lull in the action where the apparently necessary romance plot had been continuing. In fact, it occurred to Arthur that he had lost his focus on the book for a second because of it and that had been why he had registered what he had been hearing in the background. He sighed and put his book down, wondering whether to just go for a bath and go to bed.

And that was when Alfred's music started up again.

Startled, Arthur jolted and looked upwards, wondering what Alfred was thinking. Then he recognised the song and his brow furrowed further.

 _“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_  
_But the very next day, you gave it away._  
_This year, to save me from tears_  
_I'll give it to someone special-”_

Had it only been quiet because Alfred was switching CDs? Hadn't he heard Arthur's threat? Not that he would actually call the police because of it but, still. Why wasn't Alfred doing as he asked as he usually did?

Suddenly, the song changed. Not only that, Arthur found himself staring in the wrong place, as if someone had moved whatever sound system Alfred had been playing it through. Was he decorating another room? After a few moments, though, Arthur registered the lyrics and he made a questioning noise.

 _“I want my baby, baby_  
_I want someone to love me_  
_Someone to hold-”_

Then the music was cut off and the faint strains of another song started to play. This time, Arthur realised that the music was coming from Alfred's landing, nearer the door to the stairs than Alfred's front door. What was he doing? Trying to annoy _all_ of his neighbours? Nevertheless, Arthur stood and moved to the edge of the room closest to the song, trying to block out the ticking of his clock so that he could make out the words.

 _“-wish I knew how (Your eyes are like starlight now.)_  
_To break this spell. (I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell.)_  
_I ought to say no, no, no. (Mind if I move in closer?)”_

There was a sudden silence and Arthur blinked up at the corner of his living room. Had that been what he'd thought it had been? Why on Earth was Alfred playing all these romantic songs? When nothing else happened, Arthur turned to go frown at his couch and his book, still trying to decide what to do with the rest of his night.

Which was why he almost leapt out of his skin when music abruptly started – loud – just outside his front door.

 _“I don't want a lot for Christmas_  
_There's just one thing I need_  
_I don't care about the presents_  
_Underneath the Christmas tree._  
_I just want you for my own_  
_More than you could ever know._  
_Make my wish come true; oh-”_

Desperately wrenching open his door, Arthur found himself face to face with Alfred who was now wearing a black jumper with a sprig of mistletoe knitted into it. He looked half-apologetic and half-happy as he smiled at Arthur, hugging a CD player which blasted the music. Before Arthur could say anything, before he could pointedly wince at the volume, Alfred mouthed the words along with Mariah Carey.

“All I want for Christmas is you.”

Arthur felt himself turn red. Panicking, his anger took over and he slapped at the pause button. “What the hell are you doing?!” he demanded. “I- What is the meaning of this? I told you-”

“You basically told me that you're being a Scrooge this Christmas,” said Alfred, grinning at Arthur. “So I've come down to show you the real meaning of Christmas. I'm your Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.”

“Really?” said Arthur, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. “So what are you going to show me, then?”

“All the fun things about Christmas. In other words... Are you free tomorrow?”

“Hm, yes. Why?”

Alfred faltered. “Well, if you _want_ to, I'll take you on a Christmas themed date. That means ice, snow, warm drinks, hats and scarves and, uh...” He risked lifting a hand from his CD player to gesture at his jumper.

“Oh,” said Arthur, ducking his head. “I, um... Okay. Just... No-”

“No Christmas songs for a while, right?” Alfred interjected. “Sure thing. Just... Go on the date with me and it's totally a deal. For now.”

Arthur laughed. “You can play Christmas songs if you want. I'll tune them out like I do at work. I'm sorry for snapping at you – just a little... stressed at the moment, I suppose. I was trying to relax and then...”

“Don't worry about it. My brother always snaps when we're Christmas shopping, always shouting at me for something or other. Not sure why...” Alfred pouted.

Struggling to hold in a laugh, Arthur nodded. “Right. Okay. So. Tomorrow, then?”

“Yup! See you then!”

Rather reluctantly, Arthur closed the door on Alfred. There was a short, blessed silence. Then Alfred shouted in celebration from the other side of the door and Arthur breathed out, hardly able to believe that it had turned out like that.

And if Alfred played a certain part of that song over and over for a few minutes when he got back to his flat, Arthur wasn't going to complain.

 _“I won't ask for much this Christmas._  
_I won't even wish for snow,_  
_and I just wanna keep on waiting_  
_Underneath the mistletoe.”_


End file.
